Strategies for customer conversations

Transcript: Strategies 

In his article, Bob Dignen suggests that we need to take a new, modern approach to our customers. You will hear a statement about how to communicate with your customers. In the pause, decide whether you agree or disagree with that statement and why. Then we’ll tell you what Bob suggests in the article. Ready? Good.

You should be prepared to show anxietyBesorgnisanxiety about your ability to deliver results.
> Bob would agree with this. He says that to expose sth.etw. offenlegenexposing your concerns, while still being confident of success, shows that you are human.

You should use last-minute price concessionEntgegenkommenconcessions to finalize the deal.
> Bob disagrees. He thinks that this can to undermine sth.etw. untergrabenundermine your credibilityGlaubwürdigkeitcredibility.

You should spend lots of time promoting your competence and track recordErfolgsbilanztrack record to build trust with your customer.
> Bob disagrees. Bob thinks this can be counterproductivekontraproduktivcounterproductive and can be to be perceived as sth.als etw. wahrgenommen werdenperceived as arrogant or self-marketing.

Getting your customer to talk about their personal interests or hobbies helps you learn about what to drive sth.hier: etw. bestimmendrives their thinking.
> Bob agrees. Discussing people’s hobbies and interests often tells you what they are really passionate about.

You need to challenge a customer’s traditional thinking patternDenkmusterthinking patterns.
> Bob agrees. He suggests that you need to bring previouslyzuvorpreviously unconsidered needs to the customer’s attention.

to highlight sth.etw. hervorhebenHighlighting the cost of not changing can be more effective than highlighting the gains of change.
> Bob agrees. He says that the psychology of perceived loss can be stronger than that of perceived gain.

In a price negotiationVerhandlungnegotiation, you should avoid stating a figure early in the process.
> Bob disagrees. He thinks you need to state a figure early on in the process to get an agreed reference point for the negotiation.

Did you agree with Bob’s ideas? Read his article in the latest issue of the magazine to find out more about his suggested approach to dealing with customers.